Bad boys take to Imported arms

Gangs are fast graduating from country-made firearms such as kattas to sophisticated imported weapons, a trend noticed since rise of organised crime syndicates in city

At a time when an increase in organised crime syndicates in the city has already got the police worried, a new trend has been noticed among local gangsters ufffd the use of imported firearms.

The Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC) of the Crime Branch arrested seven people believed to be associated with the Ganesh Marne gang on Friday night. Interrogation of the suspects revealed that they had bought a Webley and Scott firearm that comes with a 'Made in England' mark on it.

Prohibited in India
"The revolver is a .38 bore type, which is prohibited in India," said Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime I) Prabhakar Patil. "Even licensed firearms owners don't have access to such firearms. This incident has alarmed us and we have kick-started investigations to get to know the source of such firearms."

Imported firearms were also used in the firing on former corporator Ajay Bhosale in Koregaon Park during the Legislative Assembly election in October. So far this year, Crime Branch sleuths have seized 26 firearms.

Disturbing trend
"Gangsters having easy access to imported firearms is definitely a disturbing trend we are witnessing. The police are trying to curb activities of organised crime syndicates by regularly taking action against gangsters," said Patil.

Police Inspector Kishore Jadhav (AEC) said the price of a firearm such as the one the Marne gang was found to be using was in lakhs, which went to show the money power gangs in the city had acquired of late. "The imported revolver costs around Rs 7 lakh and we are trying to find out where the gang got it from," said Jadhav. "Two people from the Marne gang who can give us clues about it are
still absconding."